Little Lioness
by PrincessDaydream77
Summary: Most people know of James Potter II, the naughtiest child of the family and of Albus Potter, the boy who surprisingly made Slytherin, but this is not their story. This is the story of the youngest child of the Potter family, little Lily Luna. Following her birth through her Hogwarts years, it's time to tell the tale of the little lioness.
1. Room for Five?

Little Lioness

Summary: Most people know of James Potter II, the naughtiest child of the family and of Albus Potter, the boy who surprisingly made Slytherin, but this is not their story. This is the story of the youngest child of the Potter family, little Lily Luna. Following her birth through her Hogwarts years, it's time to tell the tale of the little lioness.

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JK, except any OC characters and the writing of this story. Those belong to me.

Chapter One

It all began on a windy day in August. A twenty-six-year-old Harry Potter shut the door against the whipping of leaves outside 12 Grimmauld Place, the home he shared with his twenty-five-year-old wife, Ginny, five-year-old son, James Sirius and three-year-old son, Albus Severus. She ran down and wrapped her arms tightly around Harry, pulling him in for a sensual kiss. Harry broke the kiss after a few moments and wrapped his arms around his wife.

"Hey! What brought this on?" he chuckled, holding her close to him.

"Nothing. I'm just pleased to see you, that's all. I missed you today." she smiled.

"That's nice, love. I should go to work more often if I get this reaction!"

He leant in for another kiss, but was interrupted by two tiny cannonballs leaping onto him, knocking him down onto one of the black leather sofas in the hallway.

"Hi, James! Hi, Al! How're my favourite boys?"

"Fine, Daddy!" smiled Albus, inserting his thumb into his mouth.

"That's good."

"Albus, James, could you leave us two alone for a minute, please? Mummy has something that she needs to tell Daddy."

The two exited the room, Albus falling flat on his face as he reached the hallway and James laughing hysterically at him. Once they were gone, Harry turned back to Ginny.

"Gin? What d'you want to tell me?"

"Well..."

"Hang on, what time do you have to get to practice?"

"Oh, I'm not playing this season. Harry, we're going to have to move, you know, this house is really small."

"Ginny, slow down. Why aren't you playing?" He was really confused and slightly worried about the situation. Ginny had only ever backed down from a season of Quidditch on two occasions. Both occasions were outside hitting each other with sticks. Harry gasped and looked from the boys to his wife. She was smiling at his realisation and began laughing. Harry laughed and pulled Ginny into his lap, kissing her passionately. He pulled away after a minute and put his arms around her, his hands resting over hers on her stomach.

"Harry?"

"Yes, Gin?"

"I hope it's a girl this time. I don't think that I can have four boys in the house with me."

They both began to laugh again, hoping that they would have a little girl to laugh with soon.

A/N: Sorry it's short, but it's just a starter. Please review and tell me what you think. Should I continue?


	2. Home Sweet Home

Chapter Two

A/N: Thanks to my brilliant reviewers, fredandgeorge97 and my best friend, headinclouds123. Here's chapter two!

Seven months had passed and Ginny was now feeling the size of a small ferry, besides Harry, James and Albus telling her daily how beautiful she still looked. The man in question had begun planning the measurements for their new house as soon as they'd discussed the matter and was regularly caught drawing them out on paper napkins while at work at the Auror Office, much to his brother-in-law and best friend, Ron's amusement, but he would never let Ginny or the boys see them, stating that he didn't want to spoil the surprise. One month later, the foundations were laid and now, six months after that, the house was practically complete. Harry, Bill, Charlie, Percy, George, Ron and Arthur Weasley were helping to make the final touches to the house, while Molly, Hermione, Ginny and Fleur were looking after all of the Weasley children, including their own, Roxanne, Fred II, Molly II, Lucy and Harry's godson, Teddy Lupin.

"It's a bit strange, isn't it, Gin?" asked Hermione, looking at her sister-in-law, who had a relatively blank expression on her face.

"What is, Mi?" she replied, her brow furrowing slightly in confusion.

"Thinking that next time we do this, they'll probably be thirteen of them to look after."

"Yeah." she sighed in agreement, rubbing her rather large bump absentmindedly.

"Which are you 'oping for, Ginny? A boy or a girl?" asked Fleur, smiling at her seven-year-old Victoire, who was plaiting the hair of her younger sister, five-year-old Dominique. Louis was attempting to plait Fleur's hair, but at the age of four, all he was really doing was winding it round and round his fingers.

"Yeah, Gin, do you want another little Harry or do you think it's time for a mini Ginny to make it's mark on the world?" laughed Hermione, picking up her own little boy Hugo, the youngest of the group at age one and a half, after he fell on his face in the magical sandpit. Looking at the redheaded girl helping him up, Hermione's daughter Rose, Ginny knew that her mind was made up for sure.

"A girl, definately. I mean, I love Albus and James to bits and I wouldn't change them for the world...but I definately want a daughter."

"I can see why. It's like with Ron. I've got three children in the house with me!" All three women began to laugh, a few of the younger children beginning to copy them. The group laughed for a while, but the laughter died off as a beaming Molly Weasley Sr. popped her head around the door, ducking slightly to avoid the flurry of sand that Fred had thrown towards the door at that precise moment. Shaking the sound out of her hair after her failed attempt to avoid it, the matriarch gave her long awaited message.

"Well, glad to see you're having fun, dears. Ginny...it's ready."

All of them knew what the matriarch meant and James began almost squealing with excitement. Ginny grabbed both her son's hands and Flooed up to a contained fireplace about twenty metres from her new home. Ginny gasped as she saw the beautiful sight before her.

The house itself was a creamy colour, with mainly red flowers all over the garden, which was contained with a small picket fence to seperate it from the beautiful field it lay in. There were fruit trees surrounding it, offering a large amount of shade on the late March day and the thing that the boys noted most was two sets of large golden hoops.

"Quidditch! Mummy, Daddy made a Quidditch pitch!" cried James, jumping up and down with glee. Ginny smiled at Harry, sensing that the practice pitch wasn't just for the boys. They approached the cherry red front door, Ginny noting the golden lion's head knocker on the door, and began to explore.

Finally, they reached the childrens' bedrooms, which were on the top floor, Ginny quickly sneaking a peek in her and Harry's new Gryffindor-themed bedroom on the floor below.

James' room was first. The walls were a light blue, with white fluffy clouds that moved around the walls. The carpet was green and fluffy as well, with little sand-coloured parts opposite each other under the golden hoops that adorned the walls. A little golden Snitch drifted lazily across the walls, completing the Quidditch theme of the room. James looked like he would go through the floor if he jumped any more.

Albus' room was next. It had a dark blue theme, with stars dotted across the walls and ceiling. There were planets dotted around as well, with tiny shooting stars coming along every now and then. It was obvious that the room had a space explorer theme, reflecting Albus' love of the Solar System. The boy in question was looking around in fascination, sucking his thumb while he smiled.

They stepped out into the landing, leaving the boys in their respective rooms, while Ginny prepared to return to the lounge. She was stopped when Harry caught her arm, pulling her towards the last remaining door on the landing.

"Harry? What's this?" she asked, kissing him on the cheek.

"Wait and see." he smirked, slowly pushing open the door. Ginny gasped, tears forming in her eyes.

The final room was a pink and cream themed nursery, with golden butterflies fluttering around lazily on the walls. There was a cream leather bassinet in the corner, with pink ribbons threaded through it. The bedding was pink and gold as well, with a tiny pink teddy bear inside it. There was a chair in the room as well, cream with pink and gold embroidered cushions. There was a large space on the floor, with a toy chest filled with stuffed animals.

"Oh, Harry!" she cried, throwing her arms around her husband, beginning to cry into his shoulder with happiness. Ginny truly couldn't wait for her daughter to be born, when her family life would be complete.

A/N: I just really wanted to set up Harry and Ginny's new home before Lily was born. She will be born next chapter though, I promise! Please review!


	3. Little Lily Luna

Chapter Three

A/N: Thanks to my reviewers for the last chapter, ClaireBear1982 and purplecookie1405. Virtual cookies to all of you! Also, I am the youngest in my family, so I have no idea how a baby is born, but I tried to imagine it as well as possible. Please excuse any inaccuracies.

The Potter family had been living in their new home for three weeks now, and they still loved it as much as the day they set eyes on it. Harry had returned to work in the Auror office and Ginny spent every other day at the Burrow with Fleur, Molly and the kids. That particular day, she had decided to stay at home, while the boys went to play with Rose and Hugo at their home. Ron had his day off and wanted to spend it with his children and his nephews, thus allowing Hermione to go and have a coffee with her best friend.

Ginny had gone to get the pair another cappuccino when she suddenly stopped, a sharp pain rushing through her stomach. She cried out slightly, her hands automatically clutching at her abdomen as she bit her lip. Hermione heard this and came out to the kitchen.

"Ginny? Ginny, are you alright? What's the matter?" When she saw her best friend, she crossed the room to where Ginny was leaning heavily on the kitchen counter, her breaths coming out in short pants.

"It's alright, Mi. I just had a little bit of a...ooh!" Her face contorted again, something which didn't escape Hermione's notice.

"Is it there again?" she asked. Ginny nodded quickly.

"Ginny, we should call Harry." suggested Hermione, reaching for her wand, which was resting on the lounge table.

"No!" cried Ginny, cradling her stomach and forcing an unconvincing smile onto her face. "There's no need to. Besides, it's probably nothing, and I don't want to bother him at work." Almost immediately after, Ginny seethed once more, while Hermione clasped her fingers around her wand.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" cast Hermione, causing a glowing blue beaver to appear in mid-air. Hermione relayed her message and the beaver disappeared to seek out it's recipient.

"It's alright, Ginny. He'll be here soon. I hope."

A few moments later, the Patronus materialised in the Auror Office at the Ministry of Magic, catching the attention of Harry and Ron. The twirling beaver opened it's mouth and began to speak.

"Harry, Ginny's having contractions. They've only just started, but they're getting quite intense now and they're getting closer together each time. I think you should get down here quickly."

Both Harry and Ron lept from their seats and Apparated to the Potter home, being greeted with the sight of Ginny sitting very heavily on the sofa. Ron walked over to Hermione and gave her a kiss on the cheek, while Harry ran over to his wife.

"Ginny, are you alright? How are you feeling?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head. She smiled, then groaned again.

"Not too bad, Harry. It probably could have been worse." she laughed, screwing her face up once more as Harry kissed her again and grasped her hand.

"Hermione, can you call St. Mungo's and ask them to send the Medi-Witch for Ginevra Potter, please."

Hermione left and sent a Patronus to St. Mungo's repeating Harry's instructions. They heard a whooshing sound outside the house a few minutes later and a knock came on the door, which Ron went to answer. He came back with an amused expression on his face, popping his head around the door.

"Well, we're definately in the best hands, aren't we, Harry?" he smiled, stepping to the side to allow the Medi-Witch to enter. Poppy Pomfrey.

"Hello, Ginny, how are you?"

"Been better, Madame Pomfrey, to be honest." groaned Ginny, sqeezing Harry's hand again.

"Yes, well, you clearly haven't changed your attitude much since your Hogwarts days, have you?" commented the nurse, smiling fondly at the redhead, then waving her wand, muttering a few undintinguishable words under her breath. The tip of her wand glowed a slowly brightening green and she returned her gaze to the pair on the sofa, her expression one of amused surprise.

"Well, it seems that this little lady is ready to come out now." Both of the Potters' mouths dropped open in shock.

"Little lady?" breathed Harry, a smile creeping onto his face as he turned to his wife, whose mouth was still wide open in shock.

"Now?!" she cried, clutching onto Harry.

"Yes. This can happen sometimes with premature magical births. How early is she?"

"Four weeks, maybe five. I'm not quite sure." answered Harry, his gaze not averting from his wife, who was gritting her teeth in pain once more.

"Right, well, that shouldn't be a very complicated delivery, Ginny, my dear, so don't worry. Ron, Hermione, could you both please go to the Burrow and inform Molly and Arthur that their new granddaughter shall be making her first appearance in the world very soon."

"Of course we can, Madam Pomfrey. I'll see you soon, Ginny. Just trust Harry, he'll get you through. He's never let you down before and he won't start now." said Hermione, smiling at the pair before walking to the doorway. Ron soon followed, turning to Ginny before he did.

"Don't worry, Gin. I'm sure that the Harpies will be able to fail the League without you."

"Ron!" cried the remaining three, the Potters glaring and Hermione hitting him with the book she had been looking at with Ginny. They all laughed then, before Ron and Hermione left. Ginny suddenly got a much worse pain surging through her stomach, crushing Harry's hand for a few seconds before the pain began to ebb away a little, before hitting her again. Madam Pomfrey waved her wand again and it was glowing bright green.

"Right, Ginny, it won't take long, but you're going to have to push now."

"No! No, I'm not ready yet, no."

"Ginny, you don't have a choice. If you don't, there is a very good chance that this baby could be seriously harmed. Now push!"

Ginny did as she was told and pushed for a few minutes. At this point, she was in so much pain that she was sure that she had broken Harry's hand several times over. Poppy was leaning over and gave an approving nod.

"Right, Ginny, one more now. Just one more and it'll all be over." So Ginny did what she was told. She screamed and crushed Harry's hand, but she did it. And as she lay back panting against the arm of the sofa, she wasn't really sure if all the pain had been worth it. But one sound assured her that it was. A cry. The cry of her little baby girl.

"Congratulations!" smiled Poppy, handing the pink blanketed bundle to Ginny, who slightly pulled back the edge of the blanket, looking at her daughter's face and smiling as Harry pulled her close and kissed her forehead, looking down with her.

"So, Gin, are we going with the name we originally chose?" Ginny was about to say yes when she noticed something about their baby daughter. Aside from the tiny tuft of red hair, she had just opened her tiny eyes a little. And unlike James and Albus', they were a sparkling green.

"Actually, Harry, no. I mean, I loved Tonks, and I still think that Dora is a brilliant name, but I know what I want to call her."

"What do you want to call her, love?" asked Harry, looking at his wife in slight confusion.

"Lily. I want to call her Lily, after your mother. I just feel like it's right."

"Oh, Ginny. Thank you, love." he smiled, kissing her on the head.

"It's alright. I think she likes it anyway, and Tonks would've killed us if we'd named her Nymphadora!" she added, leaving the pair in stitches.

"Yeah, she would've. Now, what should her middle name be?"

Suddenly, a crash came from outside and what seemed to be a heated argument sprung up.

"I'm telling you, Ron, it wasn't my fault. The Nargles intercepted my Apparation." came a very familiar voice from outside, drawing a small happy cry from the bundle.

"Well, that solves that problem, doesn't it?" they laughed as Ron, Hermione and the voice in question entered the room, smiling at Ginny leant back into Harry's arms, whispering to her daughter

"Welcome to the family, my little Lily Luna."

A/N: She was finally born. If I got anything wrong, forgive me, but also remember that magical births would be a bit different. Please review!


	4. Lioness in the Making

Chapter Four

A/N: Here's chapter four. Thanks to my great reviewers, ClaireBear1982 and headinclouds123.

Ginny and Harry had never been more happy. The third Potter child had been christened Lily Luna a few days after her birth and she loved the limelight she recieved from family and friends of her parents. Even the former Head of Gryffindor House, Professor McGonagall, had taken time from her new job as Headmistress of Hogwarts to visit the little girl, leaving her new Deputy, Professor Flitwick, in charge of the school for a while.

James and Albus had also enjoyed the experience of having a baby sister, especially James, who played with Lily at every opportunity, while Albus shied away a little when Harry and Ginny weren't around.

Finally, James decided that he was bored and dragged his mum away from the professor, upstairs to play with Lily with him, while Harry and Ron attempted to keep Albus on a broomstick for more than three minutes.

James looked around the room for something that Lily could play with, as Ginny had discreetly slipped back to talk to Professor McGonagall, but all he could find was the boys' play Quaffle, so he decided that it would have to do. He waved the practice ball in front of Lily, who reached out her little hands for it. James waved it a little more, then it slipped from his hands into the air, flying at high speed right towards the tiny child's face. He closed his eyes in terrified anticipation, waiting for her scream. But it didn't come.

James sneaked one eye open out of curiosity, then snapped both open as he took in the scene before him. His seven-month-old baby sister was holding the Quaffle three inches, looking at it in both confusion and fascination.

"Wow! Well done, Lily!" cried James, plying the Quaffle from her hands and giving her a cuddle. "You're going to be a brilliant Chaser, just like Mum. Gryffindor will definately win with you on the team."

"Gryf-dor."

James turned to his sister in shock.

"What did you say, Lily?"

"Gryf-dor!" cried Lily, looking extremely proud of herself.

"Mum!" cried James, running down the room to the kitchen where his mother was still talking to her former Head of House.

"James, what is it?" Ginny asked patiently.

"It's Lily!"

"Lily?! What's happened? James, what's wrong?!" Ginny's tone was now almost desperate.

"Come on, come and see!" James ran back out of the room towards Lily's bedroom, his mother and Professor McGonagall following closely behind. When they entered the room, James was on his hands and knees beside Lily, waving the Quaffle in front of her.

"Come on, Lily, you can do it! Who are going to win the House Cup every year forever?"

"Gryf-dor!" exclaimed Lily again, looking from James to her mother to McGonagall, all of whom were smiling widely at her.

"Oh my gosh!" cried Ginny, running to Lily and sweeping her up in her arms, kissing her forehead repeatedly. She pulled away at last, smiling at the girl, then adressing the Headmistress.

"Well, Minerva, I think we've got the Lions a new recruit!" she laughed, tickling Lily's side and smiling as she giggled.

"Yes, it seems as though we do. And hopefully, another fine flier for the team. We haven't won since the pair of you left, you know."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes. We came close a few years ago, but all the other years, Slytherin have practically knocked us out of the sky. In fact, last year, they did. Literally."

"Ouch!" exclaimed James, his face screwing up with the thought of it.

"Quite so, Mr. Potter." replied the professor, smiling slightly as James giggled at being adressed in the same mannor as his father.

"Well, Lily's going to be a little Quidditch star. Just like Mummy." smiled James, nuzzling against his mother's stomach and tickling Lily a little, while she giggled and twirled the Quaffle in her chubby little fingers.

James was famous in the Potter family for always turning out to predict the future, his Uncle Ron joking that he had unearthed his inner Trelawney at a young age, but maybe the eldest Potter child was right. After all, with the family she had, how could Lily not be a star.

A/N: A bit late, I know, but I've started a tiny bit of my GCSE coursework now, so I have way more homework, not to mention _school!_ But I'll update when I can. Please review.


	5. Perfect Matches

Chapter Five

A/N: Thanks to my first reviewer for this chapter, TvGeek98, that's my favourite part as well! Also thank you to other reviewers, ClaireBear1982, Ofred and my bff, headinclouds123.

A few years had gone by and Lily had gone from being a tiny giggling baby to an intelligent, inquisitive five-year-old girl. She had also matured as a person, no longer playing pranks that she had learnt from her Uncle George and his children, much to her parents' relief.

Lily had also established strong relationships with her cousins, especially Rose, Roxanne, Dominique and Victoire, three of whom were already attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, making their relationships mainly long distance. In fact, Rose and Lily were now the only female Weasleys who were not at the school yet, which would change when Rose went up in two years.

Much to Lily's dismay, James would also be leaving for Hogwarts with them, which was why Lily and her family were standing in front of the enchanted brick wall in the Leaky Cauldron, preparing to enter Diagon Alley for the first time.

An audible gasp escaped Lily's lips as she took in the hustle and bustle of the Wizarding street. Growing up in a large house in the countryside, the closest Lily had ever been to urban life was staying at her Aunt Hermione's house for the weekend.

"It's amazing, isn't it, Lily?" smiled Ginny, taking in her daughter's expression.

"It's magical." Lily breathed in response, clutching onto her mother's hand as the group began to move forwards towards the first stop on their journey, her aunt's favourite of the Diagon Alley emporiums, Flourish and Blotts.

The store itself was amazingly bright, wooden bookshelves crammed with novels and spellbooks. James and Harry made their way straight over to the first-year spellbooks, Albus trailing along behind them, while Lily made her way over to the childrens books, pearing at the titles with great interest. When the boys returned, Harry was staggering behind them with James' spellbooks, including a great few about Quidditch and a few stargazing books that must have belonged to Albus. Lily looked up at her mother expectantly, who nodded her back over to the books. Lily flashed a beaming smile back at the woman, then ran towards a particular shelf and plucked a book bound in red leather from the shelf, returning to her mother almost immediately. Ginny took the book from her young daughter's hands, reading the golden title out loud.

"_The Golden Book of Fairytales_, Lily? What is that? I've never heard of it before."

"It's a collection of Muggle stories, Mummy. They're called fairytales because they're about dragons and knights and enchanted castles where the fairy princess lives happily ever after with her very own Prince Charming. I love them, they're so pretty, and each and every one of them ends happily. Well, almost each. Auntie Hermione told me about them when I went to stay." explained Lily, making no effort to hide the amazement in her voice as she described the tales of her aunt's childhood.

"Right, of course she did." laughed Ginny, thinking of all the times that Harry had read the tales to her father, who looked upon Snow White as a potential ally of the Department for the Protection and Conservation of Endangered Dwarves and Cinderella's glass slipper as a possible faulty Portkey!

The rest of their shopping was done in almost an instant, James' owl being not so affectionately named Feather Brain, because it tried to fly towards James out of the cage, while the cage door was shut. There was only one place left on their list; Ollivander's.

After the events of the Second Wizarding War, the Ministry had funded Ollivander's rebuilding of his emporium, which was going as strongly as ever. However, as the man was becoming old, Ginny and Harry had agreed to purchase all three of their children's wands at the same time and store Albus and Lily's away until they attended Hogwarts themselves.

The bell above the door rang as the family entered the candlelit store. There were shelves all along the back walls, each one packed full of oblong black boxes. Suddenly, a noise came from one of the furthest shelves and a man with straggly grey-white hair appeared on a sliding ladder.

"Ah. I knew this day would come. The children of Mr. Harry Potter, how interesting an experience this shall be." stated the man, his reverant voice close to a whisper.

"Hello, Mr. Ollivander." greeted Harry, a smile lighting up his face.

"Now, what may I do for you today?" asked the man, his facial expression clearly showing that he knew the answer.

"James is about to start Hogwarts in September and he needs to purchase his wand. However, Harry and I thought that the day would be altogether more memorable if Albus and Lily selected their wands on the same day." explained Ginny, stepping forward a little, Lily clinging onto her jacket.

"Ah, Mrs. Potter!" smiled Mr. Ollivander, evidently just noticing Ginny's presence in the dimly lit room.

"Hello, Mr. Ollivander." she replied, smiling just as much as her husband.

"Now, we should get down to business!" exclaimed the man, beckoning towards James. "Come along, young man, let us see about this."

The wandmaker plucked one of the boxes from the nearest shelf and removed the light brown wood from the velvet interior. James waved it around a little, before red sparks came out of the end, the room being lit a little more by the golden glow surrounding them.

"Ah!" cried the man, taking the wand from James and twirling it around in his fingers. "That may have been the quickest I ever matched a wand to its owner. Yes, most appropriate. Dogwood and phoenix feather, eleven inches, slightly springy. Most suited to a prankster."

"That'll be why it lept for James, then." laughed Albus, setting off the rest of the room's occupants into a fit of laughter. When they had quietened down, Albus walked over to the man, taking the first strip of bright yellow-brown wood from Ollivander's hands. He gave it a wave as well and the golden glow filled the room once more, sparks surrounding them again.

"Amazing! Another perfect match! Yew and dragon heartstring, a novel combination, nine and a half inches, surprisingly swishy as well! This would be highly suited to a fierce protector of others." explained Ollivander, placing the wand down into its box, laying it down beside James'.

Finally, it was Lily's turn to step forward, still clinging onto her mother's hand. Ollivander came out from behind the counter and bent down in front of the five-year-old, so as to seem less intimidating.

"Hello, young lady. Would you like to choose your wand as well?"

"Yes please, Mr. Ollivander." came the timid response. Ollivander nodded, walking back to one of the furthest shelves in the shop, reaching right up and lifting the topmost box down. He then took a spiralling, golden brown wand, engraved with little flowers and stars.

"I've always found that this wand was so specific in its selections that this combination hasn't left the shelves of Ollivander's since the 15th century! I wonder..." He seemed to pause for a moment, then held the wand out to Lily. She took it from him, then gave it a wave. The room lit up brighter than ever, tiny purple fireworks coming from the tip.

"My goodness!" Ollivander cried out, his face almost lighting up with delight. "It seems that this wand has finally met its owner in you, Miss Potter. Larch and unicorn hair, thirteen and three-quarter inches, an unyielding wand. This wand has never been sold because it has never found anyone as purely brave and good as the combination demands. Until now, that is."

All three children were soon walking away from the shop, each holding their wand box and books in their arms, while Ginny and Harry lumped the rest between them.

Once they got home, they each sat in their respective bedrooms, all thinking the same thought, Lily most intensely of all.

'_I can't wait to go to Hogwarts!_'

A/N: Please review to tell me how I've done. As always, I found the wand cores and woods meanings on Pottermore.


	6. Growing Up

Chapter Six

A/N: Thanks to my encouraging reviewer, ClaireBear1987.

The next time Lily took her wand from its place in the cupboard of her bedroom, it was on her eleventh birthday. It was a lovely spring day, sunlight drifting softly through her bedroom window and Lily had decided to take a look at the golden piece of wood, seeing as she was due to recieve her letter for Hogwarts during the day. Ironically, just as that thought passed through her anxious mind, a tapping sound came from the window.

Lily turned to the source of the tap and pulled the lilac sheer from the window, opening it to allow the speckled brown owl to fly down onto the creamy white desk. Lily pulled out some Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and carefully selected one that she knew to be apple, feeding it to the owl and prising the letter from its talons. At once, she recognised the seal, a lion, a serpent, an eagle and a badger together surrounding a letter 'H'.

"Mum." breathed Lily, leaping up, running through her bedroom door and down the stairwell. "Mum! Dad!"

Harry's head poked out from the living room door, forcing Lily to stop abruptly to avoid running right into him.

"Hello, birthday girl. What've you got there?"

"My Hogwarts letter! It came straight to my bedroom a few minutes ago!" smiled Lily, laughing as her father grabbed her by the waist and twirled her around in the air.

"That's brilliant, Lil! Come on, let's see if we can find your mum." he said affectionately, placing his daughter back on the ground and taking her hand, both running across the landing. They found Ginny in the garden, reading the Daily Prophet on the cream swing seat, a scarlet and gold cushion clutched in her lap. Lily bolted through the patio doors, her father seemingly forgotten in the kitchen.

"Mum!" Lily yelled, catching her mother's attention, who folded the paper and stood up to embrace her young daughter.

"Hello, birthday girl. How are you?" she asked, stroking Lily's cheek affectionately as the three sat down on the swing seat, Harry having finally caught up with them.

"I got my Hogwarts letter. It came a few minutes ago, that's why I came to find you."

"Oh, Lily." sighed Ginny, tears beginning to fill her eyes as she embraced her daughter once more.

"Are you upset?" she asked, which caused Ginny to laugh and begin to stroke her daughter's hair fondly, while Harry wrapped his arm around the pair of them.

"No! Baby, of course not. I'm just so proud of you. My only little girl going to Hogwarts."

"Just like the boys. But won't you be lonely?" asked the small girl, wrapping her arms around her mother's neck.

"No. I've got Daddy, Grandma, Auntie Hermione and the rest of the family. I'll be alright, as long as you write to me as often as you want to and tell your brothers to do the same."

"Of course I will, Mummy!" exclaimed Lily. "And I'm sure James and Albus will too. I can even ask Vici and Rose to write as well if you want me to."

"No, I don't think so, Lily, but it's a nice thought. Now, come on, why don't you run upstairs and write to Grandma and Auntie Hermione and tell them about your letter? I'll be up in a minute, I just need to have a quick word with Daddy."

"Alright, Mummy." agreed Lily, darting across the garden and into the house, leaving Ginny alone with Harry. The redheaded woman almost immediately curled up on the window seat, resting her head on her husband's lap, while he stroked her hair.

"Our baby's growing up, Harry." Ginny whispered sadly, a couple of tears glistening down in lines down her slightly coloured cheeks. Harry smirked a little, wiping the tears away with his thumb, still rubbing it in circles across her cheeks once the tears were all dried up. Harry leant down to kiss Ginny on the lips, which were seperated by under an inch when their daughter reappeared at the patio door.

"Mummy, come on! Uncle Ron's in the fireplace, he says he really needs to talk to you."

"Impeccable timing, Ron!" exclaimed Harry, kissing her on the lips more chastely than he would've done, had Lily not been watching them. "Go on, Gin. Ron's waiting."

"I love you, Harry."

"I love you too, Gin. Come on, you'd better not keep Lils waiting for too long. She's getting impatient." Ginny smiled at this comment and got up, walking quickly across to her young daughter, taking her hand as the little girl lead her into the house.

"Yes, Gin, you're right." murmered Harry to himself. "Our little girl's growing up."

A/N: I'm updating a lot lately, I know, which will stop next week, because of school, but those of you who have me on Author Alert, enjoy it while it lasts! Please review!


	7. Beginning of a New Life

Chapter Seven

A/N: Thanks to ClaireBear1982 and dream-on-sunday (x2, eventually!) for reviewing!

The time had come at long last and September 1st had dawned clear and bright above the Potter household. James and Albus had spent the entire week bickering over which House Lily would end up in, once she finally got to Hogwarts. James wanted her to go to Gryffindor House, where the majority of their family had gone, yet Albus wished for her to join him in Slytherin. The trouble was, Lily could not choose, so if the Hat asked her to, she would have no idea what to say.

Actually, if she really thought about it, she did not want to belong to either House. Lily had heard a lot about Slytherins from her Uncle Ron, and from what he said, they were not a good bunch to hang around with. True, Albus was a Slytherin and he was still a lovely person to her, but it was the Pureblood supremists that you had to look out for, according to her uncle. Families like the Malfoys, which had been around for centuries, each and every one of them in Slytherin, were not a good example to follow.

However, much to the probable disappointment of neither did she wish to become a Gryffindor. Her first ever word. It was a very noble House to be a part of, she knew that of course, but she would not feel like she was a part of the family there. She was not brave, she was fearful. She was not cowardly, but neither was she courageous. She had a touch of chivalry about her, but that was all. The rest of her family was in Gryffindor, so she felt almost a duty to go there too. But she didn't wish to. It just wouldn't be fair.

That left Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw remaining. She knew a few Ravenclaws, Victoire, Dominique and Roxanne among them, but she wasn't sure if she was intelligent enough to join them. She had a good mind, but perhaps not quite good enough to join a House which prided itself on that value.

Hufflepuff. There was only one Hufflepuff in the family, though whether he was a real member of the family was debated according to whether he had argued with anyone or not. If she ended up in Hufflepuff, Lily would have Teddy, but he would be gone soon. He should have been gone already actually, but he had failed his O.W.L. exams twice, thus having to complete his fifth year three times over, and from what she had heard her father say about the boy, he was going the same way about it with his N.E.W.T. classes. But that left some hope of friendship at least. Then there was the values. Loyalty, conscientiousness and helpfulness, all values that Lily had within her. Whether they were strong enough for Hufflepuff, she did not know.

"Lily!" The cry from the bottom of the staircase pulled Lily out of her musings. "Lily, come on, or you'll miss the train!"

"Coming, Mum!" the young girl replied, darting across her bedroom to grasp her suitcase, and the cage of her owl, before throwing open the door, glancing around her childhood bedroom one more time as she closed the door again, running down the steps.

"How long does it take to grab a bag, Lil? Geez!" James exclaimed as he saw his sister appear at the top of the staircase, leaning against the banister and glancing at the magical clock on the wall.

"I just wanted to make sure that I remembered what my bedroom looked like." Lily mumbled, only realising how babyish the words sounded once they had left her lips. James laughed a little at this, but ceased soon enough, as Harry clipped him around the back of the head, not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to make him listen.

"James, that's enough! Lils is nervous enough as it is. She doesn't need you making things any worse." Harry admonished, looking sternly at the boy.

"I know. I was only joking around." James told his father indignantly, rolling his eyes.

"I don't care, James. Pack it in!" Ginny exclaimed, taking Lily's case from her, leaving the young girl clutching her owl cage in both arms, an expression of annoyance on her face at her brother's antics. Sighing as she gazed down at her watch, the elder redhead gasped as she saw that it read a quarter to eleven. "Come on, now, or we're going to miss the train. That would be a really bad way to start the year, just ask your father."

"And always back to the car!" Harry sighed, taking hold of one of each of his sons' arms and twisting around, disappearing in a cloud of swirling wind. This was not shocking to Lily, who had seen people Apparating many times before, having grown up in an all-magical family. However, it was a shock to the girl when her mother grabbed hold of her own arm, spinning on the spot and disappearing.

As the world came back into focus and the tugging feeling in her stomach dissipated, Lily saw that she was standing on Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters, right beside the scarlet Hogwarts Express. The golden haired girl had stood on that very spot many a time before, but it was only then that she realised how different this time was. All those years spent whining about wanting to go to the school with James and Albus, and now she was about to. This was her time.

With that thought, all of the fears and anxieties that had amassed over the last few days came flooding back to the eleven-year-old. She began to breathe more heavily, something not really audible over the noise of the station, but still something that her mother managed to pick up on, causing her to turn and kneel before the girl on the ground.

"Listen, Lily. I know that you're scared. So was I. So was Daddy, so was Albus, and so was James. Everyone is scared before they go to Hogwarts, baby. It's not something to be ashamed of, it's just normal."

"But Mum, what if I'm not in Gryffindor? What if I'm in Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw, or Slytherin?" Lily questioned, her voice shaking as she got further and further away from where she knew her family wanted her to be.

"I'll love you just the same. As long as you're happy, then so am I."

"Promise?" the girl asked in a miniscule voice.

"Promise." Ginny assured her, wrapping her arms around her daughter's shoulders and beginning to cry slightly over her shoulder. "Now, of you go, baby. You've got a train to catch."

"Yeah. I suppose so." the youngest Potter agreed, nodding her head as tears filled her eyes in turn.

A few moments later, having bid tearful goodbyes to both her mother and father, along with her Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron, Lily found an empty compartment and sat herself down by the window, watching in remaining sadness as her parents disappeared into the mist of Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters.

This was the beginning of the life of Lily Luna Potter.

A/N: Thank you for reading. Now please take the time to review!


	8. Belonging

Chapter Eight

A/N: No reviewers

Even with all the stories she had ever heard about, Lily had not been prepared for the sheer beauty of Hogwarts. The magic of the place seemed to exude from every piece of stonework, from every statue and every painting, every classroom and every person. It was the most magical place in which Lily had ever stood.

At that moment, she was stood in the Great Hall, the most magical place of all. The enchanted ceiling was twinkling with starlight, as if the night sky was smiling down on the forty children stood before the Sorting Hat.

Lily had been waiting for this moment all her life, something she realised as she gazed around the hall, seeing more than a few familiar faces. She could see most of her cousins, Albus and James, Teddy and Professor Longbottom, the Herbology professor that James had been trying to get test scores from for years, still to no avail, much to his dismay. Most notably, Professor McGonagall stood beside the Sorting Hat, a roll of parchment held tightly in her hand and a welcoming smile balancing her stern features, especially as she saw Lily.

"Welcome, students, to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Now, I know that the majority of you are aware how the Sorting shall take place, but for those few who are not, I will explain. There are four Houses at Hogwarts, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Each House has its own values, and each House is equally as important. When I call your name, you will come forward, I will place the Sorting Hat on your head and your House shall be called out. You will then go and join that House at their table. Now, let us begin."

Lily began to breathe a little more deeply as the first name, Karen Andrews, was called, and she was sent down to Hufflepuff. She continued to do so as all the other students were summoned to the stool. Benjamin Colby, Jeremy Edwards, Katherine Howells. Harriet Martin. Finally, the time had come.

"Lily Potter." McGonagall read, with a hint of a smile that she had not had when reading the other names. The moment the two words were spoken, Lily realised just how nervous she actually was. A million thoughts passed through her head.

'_Will I be in Gryffindor, like the rest of my family?'_

'_Will I be in Ravenclaw, like my namesake Auntie Luna?'_

'_Will I be in Hufflepuff, like Teddy?'_

'_Will I be in Slytherin… like Lord Voldemort was?'_

Each House was terrifying for the young girl, as it meant that she would have to leave behind the members of her family in the other Houses. The memory of her mother told her that she would belong in any of the four Houses, but still, the girl could not help feeling that she would not belong in even one of them.

Nevertheless, she knew that she would have to approach the Sorting Hat to find out, and so that was what she did. She settled herself down on the stool and, as the Hat was placed down on her head, she drew in a sharp, staggering breath. Just a moment later, from somewhere in the recesses of her mind, a voice began to speak to her.

'_Well, well, well… yet another Weasley. There have always been a fair few around. Almost every single Sorting for the past eight years, I have had a Weasley sat on this stool. Are you the last of them?'_

It took a minute for Lily to twig the fact that the tattered piece of headwear was speaking to her, but once she did, she responded almost immediately, closing her eyes in concentration as she considered her response.

'_Yes, I am._'

'_Hmm, I thought as much._' the Hat continued, moving up and down on her head as it nodded. '_You would think that being a Weasley would make you an easier one to Sort, but no. It would seem not.'_

The Hat paused for a moment, as if lost in thought, and Lily took the opportunity to view the expressions on the older students' faces. The Gryffindors were all smiling widely, expecting to receive another Weasley into their midst. The Ravenclaws seemed indifferent, smiling a little, as did the Hufflepuffs, who always seemed so happy that it didn't seem so different. The Slytherins, bar one or two such as Albus, were glaring at her, either because she was a Potter, or a Weasley, or most likely a combination of the two. She would be willing to go to any of them really, even Slytherin, so long as Albus was still there for her. As she thought this, the Hat began to speak again.

'_Hmm… terrified of Slytherin House, yet still willing to go there, as long as you are with the younger of your brothers, willing to go to Gryffindor for the elder, and willing to go to either Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, as long as one of your family is present. It is a strange trait, one that your mother had. She chose to join her brothers in Gryffindor, despite the fact that I thought she would have made good somewhere else. She did prove her bravery in the end, but at the time, it was not as prominent as it is now.'_

'_And me?' _Lily asked, now just desperate to discover her House, if only so all the uncertainty would end, and so she would finally know where she belonged.

'_You are not dissimilar to her in any way. You have bravery, intelligence and determination, plenty of all three, but where to put you? You wanted to be with your family you said.'_

'_Yes.'_

'_And you would only wish to make them proud of you, even at your own loss? A brave decision indeed.'_

'_Yes.'_

'_Oh, well, then. There seems to only be one place in which I can put you.__'_

Rapturous applause filled the room, as the Sorting Hat yelled out the word that had defined Lily's life from then on.

"Hufflepuff!"

A/N: Boom! Lily is in the yellow house. Please review, so I know if you expected that or not.


	9. Comfort by the Firelight

Chapter Nine

A/N: Thanks, gimarkley2013, ClaireBear1982 and lunalovegood564, for reviewing.

That very night, Lily lay awake in her bed, still disbelieving of the choice the Sorting Hat had made. In all the times she had thought about it, never once had the girl thought she would be placed in Hufflepuff. Yet still, the more she did so now, the more she felt like she belonged.

The students of Hufflepuff, true to reputation, were extremely welcoming to her, warm and friendly, making the act of settling in much easier to complete. Teddy, also had been very friendly to her, looking out for her even before she had left the hall. Unable to help herself, Lily giggled a little at the thought of the incident earlier, when Teddy had punched a fifth year Slytherin in the face for insulting her. '_I wonder if he's actually out of McGonagall's detention yet_.' the young girl thought to herself, unable to stop the slight snigger that escaped her lips as she did so. The scene the woman had caused at the end of the feast had certainly been memorable, for the majority of the school.

Her questions were answered when she heard the loud bang of a door against a solid stone wall. It seemed that the young man had returned.

Unable to fend off her curiosity, Lily rose from her bed, padding silently down to the common room. '_It seems that he may be here for a bit longer, if he carries on like this.'_ she thought, sighing to herself as she closed the dormitory door behind her.

The fire was still roaring in its grate, despite the late hour, tinting the common room a warm shade of amber. The firelight illuminated the figure curled up on the settee before the fire, sighing in annoyance as he watched the patterns dance around the walls.

"Teddy?" Lily questioned quietly, capturing the young man's attention. As soon as he heard her voice, Teddy turned, patting the seat beside him with a smile on his face.

"Are you alright, Lil? Why are you up this late?" the dusky blonde questioned the girl, wrapping one arm around her shoulders.

"I was still awake, and I heard you come in. I just thought I'd see if you were okay." Lily replied, leaning her head down onto the boy's shoulder. The girl was so tired by this point that she could hardly keep her head upright, but she refused to return to bed, not until she knew that the boy who was almost her brother was alright.

"I'm fine, Lil." Teddy assured her, ruffling her amber locks in an affectionate way, before he became questioning once again. "Why were you still awake?"

"I was just thinking, a little bit. About me being in Hufflepuff." the young redhead admitted, withholding the last piece of information. This did not last for long, however, as Teddy's wide eyed look caused the girl to allow her emotions to spill over. "Do you think that Mum and Dad will be disappointed in me, for not being in Gryffindor?"

"Of course they won't!" the boy exclaimed, letting a small laugh escape his throat afterwards. "They weren't disappointed with Al, and he's in Slytherin! They'll be fine, Lil. As long as you're happy with being in Hufflepuff, they'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" the young girl asked, suddenly sounding a lot younger than she had done before, like the tiny little girl he had used to play pretend Quidditch with, all those years ago.

"Of course I am." he told her, a reassuring note in his voice that brought a smile to Lily's face, as did the arrogant attitude he had retained from earlier childhood. "And when have I ever been wrong?!"

"Always." Lily commented, with a tiny laugh that brought a comical pout to the dusky blonde's face, drawing another laugh from her throat. "Although I think you might be right this time. I hope you are, anyway."

"Oh, don't worry, Lils. I am." Teddy told the girl, pulling her into a comforting embrace. They stayed like that for a long while, drawing comfort from each other as a pair of siblings would do.

Finally, the two broke apart, though still sitting close to each other, staring into the fireplace.

"It's strange, isn't it?" Lily asked her cousin, after a beat of silence. "To think that, just over twenty years ago, this whole castle was rubble on the ground. To think that Voldemort fought here, that he fought our family, and that they beat him."

Glancing up at Teddy, the young redhead suddenly saw tears surface in his eyes. It took her just a moment to realise why, and she gasped once she understood what she had done.

"Oh, Teddy, I am so sorry!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the boy's neck. "That was so insensitive, I'm really sorry!"

"It's alright." he told the girl, albeit a little more quietly than he had spoken before. "I'm only free because they died fighting here. I'm proud that they did."

"And they're proud of what you've done." the young Potter stated in response. When Teddy scoffed at the remark, she continued, frowning at him slightly for just a moment. "Yes, you may not be the most well-behaved boy in the school, or even the most intelligent, you have looked after me for all these years. You've looked out for Rosie, Hugo, Al and James as well, and you've never let any of us get hurt. That counts for something, Teddy, something that 'Outstanding' and 'Exceeds Expectations' grades could never match up to."

For another dozen minutes after Lily's speech had ended, the two sat together in silence, ever so often glancing out of the window at the beauty of the stars in the midnight sky. It was enough for them, to sit in the comfort of their common room.

Hufflepuff may not have been what Lily was expected, but now she had finally found that it was where she belonged.

A/N: Please review!


	10. Not Alone

Chapter Ten

A/N: Thank you, ClaireBear1982, BloodPixie140 and lunalovegood564, for being brilliant reviewers.

It had been only a month since Lily had been placed with her fellow Badgers, and she was now truly settled within the group. The only problem now was loneliness.

In her dormitory, late at night, the young girl found that she, once again, was unable to sleep. Her mind was still buzzing with thoughts and would not be calmed, meaning that no matter how much she tried, she was unable to drift away into the darkness.

Due to this, the girl had decided to do a little reading. She had already finished the book that she had borrowed from the school library, a trait she had certainly inherited from her aunt, Hermione, and all she had to hand was a few leafs of parchment. '_The letter Mum wrote me.'_ the girl thought, plucking it from the table beside her bed. '_She always cheered me up by writing before, so she should do the same now.'_

With that thought still in her mind, Lily began to read.

_Dear Lily,  
I hope you are doing well at school, sweetheart, as I know you will be, and I hope that you do not miss your father and I too much. Even though I do hope that, I couldn't help but write to my little girl.  
First of all, I want you to know how proud we are that you were put in Hufflepuff. Truthfully, that was where we always thought you would go, as you have always been kind and hard-working, and it was lovely to see that you had done so. Well done!  
Now, I know you very well, so I know that you will be worrying about what we think of your House. Don't worry! Just because you are not a Gryffindor, that doesn't mean we would ever love you any less, exactly like we didn't love Al less for being in Slytherin, or James more for being in Gryffindor. We love you all the same, and your House will not change that at all.__  
__Keep achieving and stay close to Teddy. He'll look out for you, I know he will.  
See you at Christmas,  
Lots of love,  
Mum._

The words on the page had given Lily a sense of closeness with her family back at home, cheering her up no end. As she took in the familiar script on the parchment, the redhead felt that she was not alone at all, and never would be, not while she had them, at least.

"Is that a letter from your family?" asked a voice, a little louder than Lily's had usually been in the school, while she was around anyone but Teddy. Looking over, the young girl that the one who had spoken was Caitlyn Bones, the daughter of Susan Bones, a former Hufflepuff classmate of her father's. The pair had never conversed while they were at school, much like their daughter, and the redhead felt that she should change this.

"Yes. From my mum." Lily informed the girl, smiling as she spoke of the letter. Even mentioning the correspondence made her feel a little happier. A smile appeared only the other's face as well, presumably while she thought of a similar letter received from her own family.

"It must be nice, that she writes to you a lot." Caitlyn commented, gesturing towards the large pile of envelopes that lay beside Lily's bed, all tied together with a scarlet ribbon. "My mum tries to write a lot, but she's quite busy for a lot of the time, so she can't always. She tries, though."

"My mum works from home, as a writer, so she can always find the time to send me a letter. Sometimes, she finds a bit too much time, and I end up with ten pages to respond to!" Lily laughed, extracting a loud giggle from Caitlyn as she did so.

"What does she write about?" the brunette asked, showing genuine interest, something that Lily had not been showed by anyone at the school, other than her family. Not even the majority of her teachers paid much attention to her, bar Professor McGonagall, and Professor Longbottom, of course, and so this was a welcome change.

"She's the Quidditch columnist, for the _Daily Prophet_." the redhead responded, an evident note of pride audible in her voice. Caitlyn let out a gasp.

"Ginny Weasley?" she asked, her interest heightened to a point higher than it had been before, and became even higher when Lily nodded. "Then your dad is…"

"Harry Potter." she confirmed, with yet another nod of her head, which was beginning to hurt by this point, due to the amount of times she had confirmed Caitlyn's beliefs. Still, if it was the other way around, she supposed that she would show an equal amount of interest.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't want to pry. It's just that… my mum was in his year at school, she knew him, and-" Caitlyn began, but was cut off by Lily, who held up a hand in quite a lazy manner, due to the time she had been awake.

"It's alright, Caitlyn. Oh, Mum told me your name by the way. I'm Lily." she pointed out, feeling a little foolish for not having mentioned the fact earlier. "Anyway, I was wondering… do you want to be my friend? Maybe?"

"Me?" Caitlyn asked, sounding as if she did not believe she was good enough. "You want to be friends with me?"

"Of course I do. You're a really nice person, and I can't think of anyone at all that would be a better friend than you. I've seen you at things like reunions, when I went to them with Dad, and you're always looking about for the little kids, you're never meant to them. I just want to be friends with you."

"Alright." the brunette agreed, a huge smile illuminating her face. "Then let's be friends."

That night, when she fell asleep at last, Lily Luna was no longer alone.

A/N: A bit cheesy towards the end, but they're eleven. We'll go with it. Please review!


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